- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 51
Chapter 51: The Merit System
With 23 unicorns captured, including a Tier 2 peak unicorn leader, the operation was a resounding success. Thor couldn’t help but smile.
“Everyone will be awarded merit points for this success. Reserve knights will each receive one point, squires will receive three points, full knights will get ten points, and Steve will be awarded thirty points.”
As Thor spoke, the excitement among the knights grew visibly.
Merit points—by now, everyone at Eagle Ridge was familiar with their value.
In the system created by their lord, Thor, merit points were the key to gaining everything.
For example, slaves could only be freed and become freemen after earning 30 merit points. Only freemen were eligible to join the reserve knight corps, and typically, one would need to accumulate 50 merit points as a freeman to qualify for entry into the corps.
Once in the reserve knight corps, merit points could be exchanged for various items, and squires and full knights had access to even better rewards.
For instance, the **Fierce Eagle Breathing Technique** could be taught to a full knight who earned 300 merit points.
Or a silver armor set—once someone became a great knight, they could exchange 200 merit points for it.
Over the past few months, this system had gradually been perfected.
With the help of his daily intelligence system, Thor had gathered many valuable items, filling gaps in the rewards and making everyone at Eagle Ridge eager to earn merit points.
However, obtaining merit points wasn’t easy.
Under normal circumstances, a reserve knight earned one point per month, squires earned three points, and full knights earned ten points. Freemen earned points only by helping with construction, while slaves were awarded one point per year, unless war or extraordinary events provided opportunities for additional merit points.
Without extraordinary circumstances, these slaves would have to work for 30 years before earning the chance to become freemen.
The reward of one merit point for each reserve knight, three for squires, and ten for full knights equated to their monthly earnings, making this a considerable bonus.
Smiles spread across the faces of the knights.
“Alright, let’s head back!” Thor commanded.
The group, leading their captured unicorns, began the journey back to Eagle Ridge.
Upon returning to the territory, Thor first instructed Steve to return to the mine with his knights to prevent any unexpected incidents. Afterward, he brought the captured unicorns to a stable he had prepared in advance.
There, Allen was waiting anxiously.
“Master!”
Seeing Thor approach, Allen quickly knelt down.
“Stand up,” Thor said gently. “These unicorns are your responsibility now. I’ll assign ten slaves to help you. Every month, I’ll award you three merit points, and if you manage to breed more unicorns, I’ll double the reward. I’ll give you ten merit points for each unicorn that advances to Tier 2, and fifty for any that reach Tier 3.”
Thor’s smile carried a hint of meaning as he spoke.
“Yes, Master!” Allen replied, his excitement barely contained. He already knew the rules of Eagle Ridge, and receiving three merit points per month was far more than most slaves could hope for. Moreover, the potential to earn additional points by breeding or advancing the unicorns meant that Allen’s future looked even brighter.
If he succeeded, not only would he earn enough points to free himself, but he could also liberate his parents from slavery.
“Raine, assign the necessary personnel here. Also, post a few knights to guard this area in case of any incidents,” Thor instructed, satisfied.
“Yes, my lord!” Raine responded promptly and set to work organizing everything.
With these tasks settled, Thor turned his attention to the broader management of Eagle Ridge.
The affairs of the territory were numerous, and most of them required Thor’s personal attention.
As the evening approached, Thor found himself overwhelmed by the number of tasks that needed handling.
“It seems I’ll need some officials to help manage everything,” Thor mused.
In the beginning, Thor hadn’t considered the need for administrative officers. In the early stages of pioneering, the focus had been on exploration and expansion. Only in the later stages would the more complex administrative tasks become a burden.
However, Eagle Ridge had developed much faster than expected. Already, there were numerous tasks requiring management, such as tracking food consumption, recording merit points, and distributing resources.
Thor didn’t have anyone in his current staff with the right skills for such duties.
His two most trusted subordinates were not suited for administrative work.
After thinking for a while, Thor made a decision.
He picked up a quill and began writing a letter.
Finding qualified administrative officers wasn’t easy. While the ** Habs Trading Company** could likely provide suitable candidates for the right price, Thor wasn’t keen on putting his trust in strangers.
“Dear Father, I am Thor Dresrosa, your son. By the blessing of the Goddess of Life, the development of my territory has gone smoothly so far. However, I have encountered a minor issue. Eagle Ridge now has a population of over 3,000, and the number of tasks that need managing is becoming overwhelming. Your son is feeling increasingly fatigued and humbly requests your help in this matter. I hope you can offer assistance…”
Once finished, Thor called in a squire to deliver the letter to Loren City, where it would be mailed.
Although Thor had intended to manage the pioneering efforts on his own without seeking help from his father, the current situation made it clear that seeking his father’s aid was the best course of action.
This wasn’t like the issue with the iron mine, which Thor could handle independently.
Administrative officials, however, were beyond his current means to acquire. While he could purchase them from the Habs Trading Company, could he really trust them?
If anything went wrong, it wouldn’t be a minor issue.
Thor trusted his father’s resources more, knowing they would be more reliable and secure.
After sending off the letter, night had fallen.
As midnight approached, the daily intelligence system refreshed with new updates.
[Daily Intelligence Updated]
1: Five hundred miles north of your territory, a herd of boar beasts will pass through. The leader of this herd seems close to breaking through to Tier 3.
2: In the western part of your territory, in Baron Wells’ land, a serf has discovered a method of grafting fern roots onto fire spirit trees, increasing their yield.
(End of Chapter)